The Effect of Protein Corona on Gold Nanoparticles Aggregation

Nanoparticles (NPs) are the particles between 1 and 100 nm. They are widely used in the medical field as delivery vehicles, therapeutics and contrast agents in cancer diagnosis and treatment. There are different types of NPs divided according to the source of used materials. The agglomeration of NPs can be prevented by adding different polymers to their surfaces. The optical properties of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) make them a good system for following the behaviour of NPs in vivo. The surface properties are determined according to the purpose and type of the target. The protein layers covering GNPs is called corona. The composition of corona depends on the particle material, size and surface properties. In this study, different methods... (More)

Nanoparticles (NPs) are the particles between 1 and 100 nm. They are widely used in the medical field as delivery vehicles, therapeutics and contrast agents in cancer diagnosis and treatment. There are different types of NPs divided according to the source of used materials. The agglomeration of NPs can be prevented by adding different polymers to their surfaces. The optical properties of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) make them a good system for following the behaviour of NPs in vivo. The surface properties are determined according to the purpose and type of the target. The protein layers covering GNPs is called corona. The composition of corona depends on the particle material, size and surface properties. In this study, different methods (DLS, disc centrifuge and SDS-PAGE) were used to investigate the effect of different proteins, including PGB1, IgG and plasma proteins (cow and calf) on the aggregation of GNPs and how these aggregations could be prevented. It was found that PGB1 did not aggregate the particles while IgG did and the amount of aggregation depends on IgG concentration. In addition, PBS aggregated the particles while the water stabilized them. Finally, some experiments were done on carboxylated and biotinylated GNPs trying to conjugate to PGB1 and streptavidin respectively, but the results were unclear and more studies are needed. (Less)

Popular Abstract

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field. It includes fabrication of very small particles (nanoparticles). There are different types of nanoparticles depending on the material source. Some nanoparticles are used as a vehicle to deliver drugs to cells (e.g. cancer cells). Due to their large surface area relative to their volume, they can carry large amount of drugs. Nanoparticles can aggregate in salty solutions as in normal human blood. Specific molecules can be added to the particles surface to prevent aggregation. One of the widely used particles is gold nanoparticles. They can have different shapes like spheres and rods. One of the advantages of using gold nanoparticles is that the behavior of the particles in the solution can be... (More)

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field. It includes fabrication of very small particles (nanoparticles). There are different types of nanoparticles depending on the material source. Some nanoparticles are used as a vehicle to deliver drugs to cells (e.g. cancer cells). Due to their large surface area relative to their volume, they can carry large amount of drugs. Nanoparticles can aggregate in salty solutions as in normal human blood. Specific molecules can be added to the particles surface to prevent aggregation. One of the widely used particles is gold nanoparticles. They can have different shapes like spheres and rods. One of the advantages of using gold nanoparticles is that the behavior of the particles in the solution can be detected primarily by the color. A purple colored means that small particles are stable in solution. While grey color is an indication of particle aggregation. When a particle enters blood the particle surface starts to interact with components in blood. Some components interact strongly while other interacts weakly with the particle surface. Proteins is one component in blood that often interacts with nanoparticles. Some proteins aggregate the particles and others not. Different techniques are used to measure the size of the particles in protein rich medium. Comparing the particles size naked particles in protein rich medium with protein conjugated particles, gives information about if the protein cause aggregations of the particles or not. Studying the effect of proteins on nanoparticles is important to evaluate the particle toxicity, safety, and suitability as drug carrier. (Less)

@misc{8168555,
abstract = {Nanoparticles (NPs) are the particles between 1 and 100 nm. They are widely used in the medical field as delivery vehicles, therapeutics and contrast agents in cancer diagnosis and treatment. There are different types of NPs divided according to the source of used materials. The agglomeration of NPs can be prevented by adding different polymers to their surfaces. The optical properties of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) make them a good system for following the behaviour of NPs in vivo. The surface properties are determined according to the purpose and type of the target. The protein layers covering GNPs is called corona. The composition of corona depends on the particle material, size and surface properties. In this study, different methods (DLS, disc centrifuge and SDS-PAGE) were used to investigate the effect of different proteins, including PGB1, IgG and plasma proteins (cow and calf) on the aggregation of GNPs and how these aggregations could be prevented. It was found that PGB1 did not aggregate the particles while IgG did and the amount of aggregation depends on IgG concentration. In addition, PBS aggregated the particles while the water stabilized them. Finally, some experiments were done on carboxylated and biotinylated GNPs trying to conjugate to PGB1 and streptavidin respectively, but the results were unclear and more studies are needed.},
author = {Abdulla, Nada},
keyword = {cow serum and IgG,PGB1,corona,Gold nanoparticles,Protein Science,proteinvetenskap},
language = {eng},
note = {Student Paper},
title = {The Effect of Protein Corona on Gold Nanoparticles Aggregation},
year = {2015},
}